Music, Art, Insight & Culture For The Open Mind

Dec 19, 2018

Death Magnetic - code name for project "Mastering Hatchet Job"

I listened to a few tracks. In addition to the horrid mastering job on this album, just because they are playing a few old riffs doesn't negate the fact that they still suck.

And when they started worrying about airplay, they started sucking. Suck just may be in the ear of the beholder, but I have about five million old school Metallica fans who agree. And people like me who made their success possible, in light of the fact they didn't get any media exposure, are probably in the best position to ascertain whether they suck or not.

I listened to some of the new album and it just isn't there. I can put in Kill 'Em All and rage, I can pop in MOP, AJFA, etc and be rocking, but the new stuff just leaves me yawning. Whatever made Metallica the swesome force they were is gone.

Bottom line is, they should have hung it up a long time ago. Sad but true.

[I know it's still just my opinion, but it is a widely accepted viewpoint in a scene that makes or breaks these bands. I think too many people keep holding out this hope that the glory days of old are going to come back around everytime they release another pile of poo, but it just doesn't work that way.]

Because they couldn't hang. Slayer usurped the throne. And isn't giving it back. Slayer is the metal band by which all other metal bands are judged, whether you like it or not. Slayer is the band by which every live metal show is judged. Slayer beat up Metallica and took their lunch money.

[1]:

Kill 'Em All -approx 3mil copies sold
Ride The Lightning -approx 5mil copies sold
Master of Puppets -approx 6mil copies sold
And Justice For All -approx 8mil copies sold

What do those numbers tell you? Tells me they traded their fan base in for a new one. One that weren't even really fans. Just trendy little kids who thought it was cool to listen to Metallica because they idolized guys like me who did when they were just toddlers.

Metallica sold out and in the metal scene, you are commiting career suicide if you are perceived as compromising your metal integrity. Perhaps that shouldn't be the case, but a metal band without a loyal fan base doesn't exist. And when you name yourself "Metallica" and market your image as being the defenders of such...

"Fuck the old fans if they don't like what we doing now." -James Hetfield

Oh yeah? Well, fuck you bub. I bought your records, I bought the tapes, I bought the CD's, I bought a hundred t-shirts, I went to your shows, I spread the word about the best band ever for years...I single handedly recruited as many fans for you as I could. I forced people to sit and listen to the opening of Master of Puppets, so they could feel the power of the BATTERY! after that wicked intro that was designed to lure you into a false sense of something only to be transferred into another dimension of metallic bliss.

What am I supposed to do with this new shit? Turn it up real loud and make somebodies ears bleed? Maybe hit 'em over the head with it?

Maybe I could say: "Hey, check out this new Metallica album. They really are trying to cash in on the days of old! They pilfered their own riffs, just like Slayer did on Divine Intervention! It is mediocre and bland, but at least we can pretend to be into it and bang our heads like the old days!"

Who are these guys? The freakin' Eagles? [Get out of my cab!]

Speaking of Slayer, yeah they have had some tired rehash moments, but at least they stayed true and never tried to blatantly cash in. Same for Megadeth, Anthrax, and all the others. Only one band from that era attempted to crossover into the mainstream. And that would be the one where that guy just won't stop that awful "singing" of his.

If James wasn't still doing that horrid singing thing, the new album would probably be pretty good [for a bunch of old sell-outs].

Yell, bark, do anything...but please God stop trying to sing. Save that shit for your forays into new country, man.

My point exactly.

Here I shall quote the lyrics to Leper Messiah:

"Spineless from the start, sucked into the part
circus comes to town, you play the lead clown
Please, please
spreading his disease, living by his story
Knees, knees
falling to your knees, suffer for his glory
You will
[Chorus]
Time for lust, time for lie
time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
and you'll get a better seat
[End Chorus]
Bow to Leper Messiah
Marvel at his tricks, need your Sunday fix
blind devotion came, rotting your brain
Chain, chain
Join the endless chain, taken by his glamour
Fame, Fame
Infection is the game, stinking drunk with power
We see
[Chorus]
Bow to Leper Messiah
Witchery, weakening
Sees the sheep are gathering
set the trap, hypnotize
now you follow
[Chorus]
Lie."

Do you see a new interpretation?

Maybe if I'm lucky, they'll read this blog and get all pissed off and create a Metallica album that does resurrect the old spirit of Metallica. James can pull a fucking Eazy-E on me and scream and yell over some gangster beat melded with molten guitar. Want real anger? I don't think you're gonna find it AT FUCKING ARMANIS!